Ninety minutes before taking the stage at Columbus’ Mill Race Park, musician Frankie Sullivan of legendary ’80s rock band Survivor already happily clutched his souvenir from the annual Our Hospice of South Central Indiana concert Saturday as if it were one of his prized guitars.
He held Miles, the ever-popular and cuddly bichon frise who serves as the in-residence mascot of Hotel Indigo where the band was staying.
“He’s going home with us,” cracked Sullivan, a big animal lover who days earlier posted a shot of his own dachshund, Abby, on Facebook for International Dog Day.
Sullivan, the only remaining original member of the group boasting six Top 20 hits from the mid-1980s, saw what often is a dog day of summer for the free benefit show turn nearly perfect: 72 degrees under sunny skies by the time the rock quintet burst into its set following talented opening act The Woomblies Rock Orchestra.
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“Let me hear ya!” young Survivor lead singer Cameron Barton shouted to an estimated crowd of 7,500 that stretched almost all the way to the park’s playground.
The throng let themselves be heard especially two tunes later when the group launched into the 1984 song “High On You” that went as high as No. 8 on the pop charts. The number gave Barton a chance to showcase powerhouse pipes perhaps as polished as anything the band has featured since it began in Chicago in 1978.
The next hit surfaced nearly 45 minutes later in the form of the soft ballad “The Search Is Over” — a melodic memory that long ago became a favorite of Columbus resident Joseph Andrew during his days at South Decatur High School.
“Some of my first slow dances were to these songs,” Andrew said, just after meeting the group at a pre-concert gathering for show supporters such as Andrew’s employer, Faurecia Clean Mobility. “So, now, to be a part of Faurecia that is supporting hospice for something like this is just amazing.”
The yearly classic rock gathering, begun in 1987, raises money through souvenir, cookie and raffle ticket sales — not to mention artwork — to support the work of the local nonprofit hospice and its mission: providing end-of-life care for patients and families in 16 counties in south central Indiana. The agency was among the first in the state to do such work in the 1980s.
Organizers said they hoped to raise $125,000. But such totals normally aren’t released until later, when all the concert’s expenses are paid.
Columbus native Diana Buchanan came all the way from Prescott, Arizona, to enjoy a weekend with friend Sandy Chavis. Buchanan arrived in town early so she could catch the show.
“I like all the older (rock) music,” Buchanan said. “And theirs is really fun music.”
Fun enough, for instance, that Sullivan frequently took center stage with intense guitar solos that stretched almost as long as an ‘80s mullet.
Yet, the bands were hardly the only things cooking and sizzling at the park. Lisa Abendroth of The Savory Swine presided over a smoking grill of everything from brats to burgers. The succulent scent, mixing with the smell of fresh pizza nearby, wafted well beyond the parking lot to near the stage area.
“Sales have been great, and we’re happy to be here,” Abendroth said.
So, too, was Patrick Hamilton, a Rocky movie fan who long has loved the tune “Burning Heart” from “Rocky IV” and of course the group’s signature song “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III.” Of course, as concert suspense would have it, the underdog-oriented megahit was saved until last.
“I like the message,” Hamilton said. “And how it inspires hope.”
And maybe how it packs a considerable punch.
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Cash raffle:
$10,000 — Marvin Scott
$500 — Mike Bradshaw
$250 — Rebecca and Brian Walsh
$150 — Nicolette Bradshaw
$100 — Betsy Grant
The custom grills
Joey Thompson (oven); David Smith (the Jeep); Alex Bowdin (pizza/bread oven); and Shelli Burton (Colts’ grill).
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